Sue Galloway Obituary

Sue Ellen Galloway

Aug 16, 1942 - Apr 7, 2026

Sandusky

Sue Galloway, 83, passed away peacefully Tuesday, April 7, 2026, after a brief illness, surrounded by the love of her family. She is now reunited in heaven with her beloved husband.

She is survived by her five children, Doug (Dianne) Galloway, Christine (Bill) Sartor, Scott (Jenny) Galloway, Kasie (Tom) Spence, and Kellie (Lane) Risser; 15 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; her siblings, Betty "Jo" Bierkortte of Parkersburg, West Virginia and Donald "Donny" Hanville of Marblehead; and her devoted companion, Gus, a three-pound wisp of a dog.

Sue graduated from Sandusky High School in 1960 and, by all accounts, was a true city girl who married her high school sweetheart and quickly learned the ways of being a farmer's wife. With a husband who didn't believe in taking a day off and five children born in just six years, Sue became the unquestioned Chief of the Household. She could often be found with a baby on each hip, cooking, cleaning, or administering first aid.

She was the family's resident medical expert, relying on her well-worn Medical Encyclopedia, and turning to doctors and hospitals only as a last resort. If you mentioned even the most obscure symptom, she would promptly diagnose the issue and recommend a remedy, almost always followed by her signature question: "When was your last bowel movement?" Her medical skills extended to animals as well, including the time she stitched up a chicken with a sewing needle and red thread after it got caught in a fence.

In 1976, she formalized her calling by earning her LPN license from Sandusky School of Practical Nursing, where she formed lifelong friendships. She went on to work in the emergency room at Firelands Hospital, further sharpening her already formidable first-aid skills.

Sue had a deep love for art, music, and travel. For many years, she created and sent hand-painted Christmas cards to family and friends, each one a labor of love that took nearly the entire year to complete. She was a proud member of Firelands Chorus and later sang with "Sob Sisters," a women's choir that performed at funerals at St. Mary's Church. She loved sharing music with her family and always tried to stay current with the latest artists and songs. Although she had strong desires to see the world, her devotion to her husband kept her close to home. She lived vicariously through her children and grandchildren, eagerly listened to every story and detail from their trips and experienced each adventure through their eyes.

At family gatherings, Sue was famous for her baked beans, kuchen bread and chocolate chip cookies. She loved to cook, never following a recipe and never measuring an ingredient. When teased about her messy kitchen, she would laugh and say, "A messy cook is a good cook, and a good cook is a chubby cook." Her greatest joy was having her entire family together. She hosted an annual New Year's Eve bash for her grandchildren, where they stayed up late, ate things their parents wouldn't approve of, and woke up to what many still claim were the best pancakes ever made.

She had a way of making everyone feel like family, sometimes even inviting perfect strangers into the fold, creating moments that were occasionally awkward but always heartfelt. Her faith was deeply important to her; as a devoted Catholic who converted after meeting her husband, she carried her beliefs and her Catholic guilt very seriously.

She also had a mischievous side. She was a secretive shopper, a talent that only grew stronger with the arrival of Amazon. She enlisted her grandchildren to help hide packages from her husband and proudly tested every "As Seen on TV" product she could find. On Halloween, she became legendary as the woman who handed out toothbrushes instead of candy. While many expected backlash, carloads of people returned year after year, traveling from near and far for their annual toothbrush.

Sue's life was defined by her love of family, her humor, her resilience, and her unwavering devotion to those she cared for. She will be deeply missed and forever remembered.

Sue was preceded in death by her husband of 61 years, Thomas A Galloway; her parents, Robert and Dorothy Hanville; and her sisters, Shirley Fackler and Roberta "Bobbie" Moyer.

Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. Sunday, April 12, 2026, at David F. Koch Funeral & Cremation Services, 520 Columbus Avenue, Sandusky. Prayers will be recited Monday morning, April 13, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. at the funeral home, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church, 429 Central Avenue, Sandusky, with Fr. Philip Feltman officiating.

The family suggests that memorial contributions be made in her name to Lupus Foundation of America, Greater Ohio Chapter, 12930 Chippewa Road, Brecksville, OH 44141 or St. Mary's Catholic Church, 429 Central Avenue, Sandusky, OH 44870.

Your memories and words of comfort may be shared with Sue's family at davidfkoch.com.